Friday, January 29, 2010

LB 13-17 Period 2

1 comment:

In response to Sydney’s question dealing with Marcus being a hero or criminal, I think that, like Rebekkah, Marcus’s actions are more of a criminal, but his intentions are more heroic. Through trying to outsmart the DHS, his outward appearance denoted that of a criminal; however, as the reader, we know that inside he is trying to change others’ viewpoints.

Margot/Josh: I do think that having an accomplice like Ange will contribute to Marcus going farther than he might otherwise. Look at Macbeth. Macbeth went to kill Duncan because of Lady Macbeth edging him on. Without that encouragement, Macbeth may not have killed Duncan. This idea continues into present-day life. When one can not seem to accomplish something, the support of a close friend or family member can encourage the one to accomplish whatever needs accomplishing.

Grace: I think that Marcus loves learning because it gives him insight to how the whole world works. By the principle, Marcus is portrayed as a slacker and undisciplined student, but as readers, we know that he is very smart. I think that Marcus loves learning about the world around him, such as challenging the DHS, but doesn’t always love reading about history. He wants to figure things out for himself, and not have the teachers teach him what they want him to know.

Logan: I do not think that the characters in Little Brother will meet the same fate as those in 1984. Little Brother tries to reinforce similar concepts to those in 1984, but not exactly the same. This would mean that their fates might be slightly similar, but not the same. Furthermore, the characters in 1984 were completely brainwashed, whereas in Little Brother, the characters learn what they are allowed to learn, but do have more thought capacities.

Kylie: I think that the citizens in both Little Brother and 1984 trusted their respective governments in a similar amount, but not in a similar fashion. In Little Brother, people are allowed to have some of their own opinions, but the issue of security really doesn’t seem to come up much in everyday society. In 1984, the citizens do not know any better than to trust and go along with their government. They do not know how to speak out against it or to doubt it.

Kylie: When writing Little Brother, I do not think that Doctorow was trying to get a message out to a specific group, but instead trying to remind everyone of the message. When 1984 came out, it was aimed at adults, but other people read it. I think that Doctorow by making it more applicable to everyday life is reinforcing its message and warnings.

Daniel: I think that Marcus is so attached to the Xnet because it is in a sense his only sense of freedom and security that he has left. His freedom at school and at home has been taken away, so even though it isn’t perfect, Marcus feels like the Xnet is the safest place. The encryption contributes to this feeling.